The present invention relates to fishing lures, and more particularly, a fishing lure harness for molding a soft, fleshy or rubbery lure body thereabout to provide a soft bodied "crank bait" lure.
The artificial fishing lure industry has been dominated for several decades by both crank bait lures and soft bodied lures, i.e., "rubber worms". The fleshy or rubbery material of the soft bodied lures are typically soft, flexible synthetic rubber materials, such as polyvinyl chloride plastisol formulations or silicone rubber formulations. Such soft bodied lures can also incorporate many color schemes and/or scented oils or chemicals which help to simulate the looks and smells of live bait. The industry has yet, however, to manufacture a lure which incorporates all of the action and looks of a crank bait lure with the texture and scents of a soft bodied lure.
Standard crank bait lures utilize a system whereby treble hooks are attached to fixed shanks mounted inside the hard bodied (i.e., hard plastic or wood bodied) lure. A disadvantage with incorporating a similar fixed shank system within a soft bodied lure is that the system would subject the soft body material of the bait to severing and tearing when a fish strikes the lure. First, the weight of the fish, when hooked, will likely tear the fixed shanks from the bait's soft body; and second, even if the shanks hold stead fast to the bait, the mouth and teeth of the fish are likely to cause excessive damage to the soft body of the bait during the ensuing fight.
Accordingly, there is a need for a soft bodied crank bait lure which protects the delicate soft bodied material when a fish is hooked and subsequently reeled in; increasing the life and usefulness of the soft bodied crank bait.